Beet loader



Ju 23,1946. D, G F 2,404,629

BEET I LOADER Filed Jan. 19, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ROBERT D. GRIFF Patented July 23, 1946 BEET LOADER Robert D. Griff, Rock Island, 111., assignor to Deere & Company, Moline, Ill., acorporation of Illinois Application January 19, 1944, Serial No. 519,070

The present invention relates generally to loadersfor agricultural root crops and the like, such as sugar beets or the like.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provision of an improved loader for picking up beets from the ground, as from a pile or windrow, and elevating them into a wagon or truck drawn alongside the loader. Further, it is a particular feature of this invention to provide improved conveyor and elevator means for handling the crop and particularly is it a feature of this invention to provide a'transverse elevator supported by rotatable members at its upper and lower ends and driven by the lower member, whereby the upper flight or run of the elevator is relatively slack, thereby serving as a receptacle for receiving the beets or other crop.

'Another feature of the present invention is the V provision of a conveyor 'or elevator particularly arranged to elevate crop products and the like and to receive the same from another conveyor or other crop handling means, with the lower portion of the upper conveyor arranged with a section supported in a'downwardly hanging loop, with driving means for driving the conveyor or elevator' arranged. at the lower side thereof so that the looped portion will always be present to serve as a receptacle'for receiving the crop products. Moreparticularly, itis a feature of this'invention to arrange the driving means so as toffeed .the' conveyor elements directlyto the looped section so that, even though some of the other-supporting elements for the conveyor may become jammed, resulting in a locking of the drive, there will beno tendency for the looped section to become taut and thereby destroy the looped shape of the conveyor.

A further'object of the present invention is to provide a beet loader having a simplified arrangement fordriving the conveyors and elevators, and a further feature of this invention is the provision of an improved beetloader having automatically adjustable guards for guiding the beets to the loader which are arranged so as not to interfere with a relatively highlift of the front end of the loader when arranging the latter for transport. r p

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

1 In'the drawings: [Figure l is a perspective view of the rear portion of a sugar beet loader, in whichthe prlnci 4 Claims. (01. 19894) 'plesof the presentinvention have been incorporated.

' Figure 2 is a fragmentarysectional view taken generally along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing the looped section of the upper run of the wagon elevator or conveyor.

.T. Rasmussen. w 7 Referring now tothe drawings, more particu' larly to Figure l, the beet loader is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral and is adapted to be propelled by a farm tractor of conventional construction, preferably one having "a power take-off shaft and a power lift unit, both driven from the tractor motor. The tractor, with its power lift unit and power take-off shaft, is shownin some detail in the parent application identified above and hence has been omitted from Figure 1. However, in Figures 3 and 4, the tractor is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 2 and is shown as equipped with a power liftiunit 3 and a power'take -off shaft 4.

The loader'I includes a mobile supporting frame |6 carried on ground wheels I! by means of an axle or the like. The frame .l6 includes a pair of longitudinally extending frame members 2| and 22 connected together at their ends by cross members 24. A conveyor and pick-up unit 35Iis carried by the frame |6 between the longitudinal members 2| and 22, the unit 35 including a pair of side bars 36 and 31 held in spaced apart relation by suitable means (not shown). A pair of brackets are fixed, respectively, to the frame members 2| and 22 and pivotally support the rear ends of the side bars 36 and 31 through the roe-'- dium of a cross shaft 4| to which the rear ends of the side bars 36 and 31 are connected by suitable bearing brackets. The shaft 4| therefore 7 serves as the pivot axis about which the pick-up direction between the side bars 2| and 22.

conveyor unit 35 pivotsin a generally vertical A sprocket 42 is fixedto the shaft 4| and receives a sprocket chain 43 by which'power is transmitted from the power take-off shaft connections to the cross shaft 4|. Chain sprockets 44 and 45. are

mounted on theshaft 4! and receive the rear end of an elevator or conveyor chain 41 onto which upwardly and laterally outwardly extending eler. vator frame 6| comprising parallel sidebars 62 and 53, each carrying a bracket fi l at itslower end. The brackets 64 are apertured and pivotally by the reference numeral 60, is carried at the rear of the implement frame; It and-includes an...

,the rear end of the conveyor 41.

4 the longitudinal jackshaft As will be seen particularly from Figure 1, this distance is appreciable and is somewhat greater than the width of the elevator 41, whereby the upper run of the elevator hangs in a slack downwardly curved loop, indicated by the reference character L, be-

tween the sprockets and therollers 98'. This looped slack. portion L thereforejs'ervesas a receiver for the beets or other crop coming over However, as best shown in Figure 2, the length of the chain 10 and the sizes of the idlers 98 and the driving sprockets 1.5 are such that, even when the lower flightfor run. .is taut, there still'remains ample L and the lower flight of the chain 10.

supported on the longitudinal jackshaft '5.l..;

Brackets 66 are fixed to: the upper ends of the side bars 62 and 6.3 and receivea shaft fi 'l on. which sprockets 65 (Figure 2) are carried. An endless conveyor or elevator chain 10 is supported at its upper end on. the sprockets 68 and at its lower end. on sprockets 15 that are. fixed. to. a shaft it which is disposed generally longitudinally and supported for rotation on the frame It by suitable brackets" or the .like. A sprocket TI is fixed to the rear end of the shaft 16 and receives a driving chain 18 which extends laterally across the rear of the machine and is'trained over a sprocket 75 that is fixed to the rear end of the longitudinal jacksh'aft 5L Certain of the links of. the chain'lll have outwardly bent sections H s'o'- a's to provide flights .to aid in conveying the beets. upwardly. The'conveyor or elevator 60 is upported for vertical adjustment by a pair of screw-threaded rods 8| (Figure 2) which are con- 7 .nected bycranks 82 to the upper ends or a pair i rtical' angles'83' that are fixed at their lower Ito'th'efrear end of the frame' Hi. The angles Q'S ale. reenforced by suitable bracing 8.4 and as.

The felevator side bars 62' and 63jcarrybump'ers which comprise a'pair of rollers 81 journaled in brackets 88 that "are fixed to the, side bars '62 and;

631"The rollers 81: are so placed as to be; in a position to engage thesides oia wagon or truck in the.eventit is driven too'clos'e to the'lo'aden This'prevents any damage tothe elevator chain lllor'other'pa'rts. f

The elevator carries front and'rear' sides 91. and92 'flxed: to the'inclined bars 62 and 63.,jand rear bang-board orplate. 93 which'is' fixedto along its upper" flight. Since the sprockets T5" are fixedto the shaft liijthey also are rotatedj in 'a clockw-ise direction, when viewed from' the rear; and, as will be seen from Figure 2, this pulls the-lbwer-run'oi the wagon elevator chain H3 taut while-the upper -or crop receivingrun is slack.

- spgi ozf vertically extendingangles 94'and95. 7

clearance C between'the lower portions of the loop Since the chain I0 is driven only at its lower end, by the sprockets '15 which arerotated in the direction of the arrow a, the crop receiving pocket or loop L is alwayspresent when the chain 10 is being driven, notwithstanding changes in the resistanceto movement of the chain, 10 or changes in the load being carried. This would not be the case if,

for example, the chain 10 were driven from the upper end. In that case, the upper run would be vibrated constantly in a. generally upward.

direction and would have a tendency to throw the beets off the conveyor chain because, in such. case, any momentary increase in resistance to the rotation of the lower sprockets or the lower portions of the chain would result in immediate tightening of--the upper flight or run; thus throwing the beets or other crop off the machine.

A form of beet loader, embodying certain improvements over the form of beet loader shown in the co-pending application identified above, is shown in Figures 3, 4' and 5. Referring now to these figures, the beet loader of' Figures 3-5 is 7 indicated in' its entirety by the reference numeral ta and is adapted to be propelled by a. tractor 2 of conventional construction. The tractor, is equipped; with a power lift unit 3 and a power take-oft shaft 4. 'The' loader Ia includes a mobile supporting frame H6 carried on'ground wheels H! by meansof an axle "H 8 or the like, The frame H6- includes a pair of longitudinallyex tending frame members 121 and" |22"connected' together at theirgfront and rear ends by cross members I24. The cross 'memb'ers I24 extend laterally to the right and are connected with a thirdgenerally longitudinally extendingjfralne.

member |'26- which; cooperating with the forward suitable means, such; as U-shaped' "cross braces Mil (Figure 4 A pair of bracketsf 1'38 and I39 are fixed respectively; to the frame'menibersfl'fl and I22 and pivotally support th'rear ends of. the side bars 136' and I31 through the medium of across shaft 2H (Figure 4) to which the rear ends of the sidebars [-3-6 and I3"! are connectedv I by suitable bearing brackets. The shaft .211

'I-Zl1e elevator6'9is prov-idedwitha. plurality of idler rollers fiil which support the slack portions oi theupper runof the chain 10. The left-hand or generally horizontal portion ofthe run is unsupported". for a spaoe that extends'between the sprockets 15 and the "idlers 98- which are some-' What'rlar'ger than the idlers -98"and are carried on therefore serves as the pivot axis about, whi'ch'the.

pick-up conveyor unit I35 pivots in a generally vertical direction between the side bars, I2YILIand At the lower ends of' the side. bars. 1.35 and [31 are mounted a pair of ground ngaging'shosldfi constructed generally similar to rod wee'der shoes each-shoe being secured, as bybolt's, 't'othelowr" sprockets fixed to the drive shaft I4I. Th rela-. tionbetween the rod 1 50;and the chain I 51 is substantially the same as explained in detail in the co-pending application mentioned above.

=T,he front end of the conveyor and pick-up unit-l35 is raised and lowered-relative to the frame H6 by means of va rockshaft I6I supported in brackets carried on afront crossbrace l64 A; pair of arms I65 and'I66 arecpnnected tothe rookshafn-as by welding or the like,- and the arms I65 and I66 act through apair of linksI69, con,- nected at their lowerends to the side bars I36 and I 31; to raise and lower the front end of the conveyor and pick-up unit I35. An actuating arm I13 is also fixed to the rockshaft I6 I and isconnected by a link I14 to a hand lever I15 pivoted to;

the frame bar I22 and including detentmeans operating in cooperation with a sector I16. A balancing spring I11 is connected at one end with the-frame and at the other end with the hand lever-I15. Byrocking the hand lever in one direction or'the other, the front end of the loader may-be raised or lowered relative to th frame.

Thefront ends of the guide plates I52 are connected by a U -shaped cross member I19, and to the forwardv end of each guide plate I62 is pivoted an auxiliary plate I8I, the pivot being indicated at I82. The rear end of each of theauxiliary guide plates I8I is'connected by a link I83 Withthe arm I65 or I66 associated therewith whereby, when the front end of the beetloader is raised, as for example, into a transport position,

the; front end of the auxiliary plate I8I which is pivotedj'atIBZ tothe associated: guide plate 152 is raisedfaster thanth rear end, since the latter-i is connectedthrough the link I83 to the arm I66 at a point much closer to the pivot of the'rockraised into a transport position, the auxiliary guide plates I8I.fold downwardly relative to the main guide plates I52. In this way, the front end of the beet loader can be raised much closer to the cross brace I64 than would otherwise be the case yet the auxiliary guide members I8I serve effectively to guide the beets from the windrow into the loader.

The tractor 2 carries the power take-01f shaft 4, mentioned above, and the latter is connected by a universal joint I86 with a short shaft I81, the rear end of the latter being connected by a universal joint I88 to a telescoping shaft I89 supported in bearings I9I and I92 carried on the main frame of the loader. The telescoping shaft I89 is connected by a universal joint I93 with a longitudinal drive shaft I94, the rear end of which is supported in a bearing I95. A sprocket chain I96 is trained over a sprocket I91 fixed to the rear end of the drive shaft I94. The chain I96 is also trained over a sprocket I98 (Figure 3) fixed to the forward end of a longitudinally extending shaft I99, the forward end of which is journaled in a bearing supported by a bracket 20I fixed to a cross bar of the loader frame II6. A chain 205 is trained over a sprocket mounted on the front end of the shaft I99 and connected thereto through a slip clutch 206. The chain 205 Guide plates 152 are secured tot the front:

is trained over a sprocket 201'fixedto the forward end of a shaft 208. that is :supported, in a gear case 209. Also mounted inthe gear case is axp'air:

of bevel gears 2 I0, one being mounted on the rear" end of the shaft 208. and the other being secured: to a transverse shaft 2I2 that .extends throughthegear case 209 and, at one end, supportsa sprocket 2 I3 and at the other end is connectedtby universal joints 2I4 andan intermediate shaft.- 2I5 to drive atransverse elevator drive shaft 211-. on which a pair of sprockets'2I8, ove which the elevator chain I51 is trained, fixed thereto. The elevator unit I iS,'as described above, adaptedto be swung upwardly or downwardl about ,the. shaft 2I1 as a pivot in order to raise and lower. the front end of the loader. I r 5 As best shown in Figures 3 and 4, a. sprocket chain 225 is trained over the sprocket '2I3 on the shaft 2I2 and over a sprocket 226 supported for rotation by 'a bracket 221 on the front por;

tion of the loader frame II6. Preferably, the sprocket 226 is carried on ashaft 228 which is connected through a'telescopic shaft section 229 and universal joints 230 to drivethe rod --II (Figure 5). The rear end of the longitudinally. extending shaft I 99 is provided with a slip clutch 23I by which. a sprocket 232 is driven. .A chain. 233 is trained over the sprocket 232 and vover a a wagon elevator .unit indicated in its entirety r a side plate '242 (Figure 4).

by the reference numeral 231 and which is supported and arranged substantially like the wagon elevator chain 10 described above in connection withthe form of the invention shownyin. Figure 1, and hence further description: is not believed with a pair of relatively large idler rollers 239:

mounted on a shaft 240, substantially in the same position as the idler rollers.98' of Figure 1.1 The idlers 239 are spaced fromthe sprocketsonthe shaft 235 a distance such that, the upper run of the chain 236 being loose, the chain 236 hangs in a loop L which receives the beets in the same manner as the loop L shown in Figure 1. In this form of the invention the loop L',-

serving as a receptacle to receive the beets coming over from the upper end of the elevator chain I51, is augmented by a rear bang-board MI and The portion of the lower or left end of the chain 236 that fastens over the sprockets on the shaft 235 is enclosed by a curved generally longitudinally extending plate section 243.

While I have shown and described above the preferred structure in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated, it is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the particular details shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely different means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of my invention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A loader for beets and the like comprising veyor disposed in a laterally outwardly and upwardly extending relation with its lower end conveyor, a bevel gear set connecting the front end of said longitudinal shaft with one end of said; transverse shaft, a power connection for driving. the forward end of said' longitudinal shaft, and means deriving power from the rear end of said longitudinal shaft fo-rtdriving the lower rotatable member of said conveyor supporting means, whereby the portion of the cross conveyor immediately rearwardly of said first conveyor hangs in a generally downwardly extending looped portion to serve as a receiver for theeropdelivered thereto bysaid first conveyor.

2. A- loader for beets and thelike comprising a supporting frame, a first conveyor supported thereon in adownwardly and forwardly extending position, a second cross conveyor comprising apair of generally longitudinally extendingshafts supported for rotation onsaid frame laterally spaced relation and disposed rearwardly of and generally laterally outwardly beyond the opposite sides of said first conveyor, arr elevator frame section supported adiustably on said frame and pivoted at its lower end on one of: said shafts and extending generally away from the other shaft, supporting'i'dl'er rollers. mounted for rotation on. said elevator section and including idler rollers at theupper end of the latter and; idler rollers on said one shaft, drivesprockets carried. on said other shaft, and a. conveyor belt having its upper flight: supported loosely on said idler rollers and said drive sprockets, said belt being unsupported between saidshafts whereby a. depending loop is formed in the upper flight of said belt in the portion of the belt immediately rearward-1y of said first conveyor so as to servev asa receiver for material discharged from the 7 rear' end of said, first conveyor meansi'or 'driving: both of said conveyors, including meansfor driving: the cross conveyor ma direction to feed theheltinto saidlloopr a 3 In as beet. loaderor thev like an elevator; comprising supporting means a; pair of shafts- 8 carried thereby in spaced apart relation, aframe section pivoted onone of said shafts for generally vertical adjustment and extending in a direction generally away from the other shaft, rotatable: i-dlers supported on said frame section and on said one shaft; belt driving means fixed to: said other shaft, a conveyor belt supported on said driving elements and said idlers, theporction of said belt between theidlers onsaid one shaft and said driving elements being unsupported so as tohang therebetween in a generally downwardly vextending material-receiving loop;

and means for driving said other shaft so as to rotate said driving elements and actuate the conveyor belt by drawing" the lower flight thereof taut and. feeding the belt into said loop; whereby said loopis retained between said shafts notwithstanding any irregularities in the resistance to movement of the belt, said driving means comprising a power connection with theforward end of said one shaft, and means defining a power transmitting connection between the rear end of said one shaft and therear end} of the other shaft to which said belt driving means of the discharge end of said first conveyor, rotatward end of said longitudinal shaft, and means deriving power from the rear end of said longitudinal shaft for driving the lower rotatable member of said conveyor supporting means,-

whereby the portion ofthe cross conveyor i'm medi'ately rearwardly of-said first conveyor hangs in a generally downwardly extending looped portion to serve as a receiver for thereto by said first conveyor:

' I ROBERT D. GR-II'E'.

the crop delivered 

